Cradle or creeper for automobile work



Apr. 17, 1923.

W. C. ZENGERLE CRADLE OR CREEPER FOR AUTOMOBILE WORK l Feb. 17

Filed Apr. 17, 1923. 1,451,858

W. C. ZENGERLE CRADLE OR CREEPER FOR AUTOMOBILE WORK Filed Feb. 17, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v f/n/f/f/a/f WC Zen; ffl/QJ ka/WCW@ Patented Apr.. ll 7, ll 92?.

i lll iFi WALTER C. ZENGERLE, OF CLEVELAND, OHEU, ASSGNOB/ T0 FBANZENGERLE COM- PANY, F CLEVELAND, OH, A PARTNERSHIP CUL'POSED 0F WALTER C. ZENGERLE AND OSCAR FRA'NZEN.

CRDLE OR CREEPER .TOR .AUTOMOBILE W'ORK.

Application tiled February To all 107mm t may concern.'

Be it known that l, WALTER C. ZENGERLE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and t State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Cradles or Creepers for Automobile Work, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyu ing drawings.

This invention relates generally to cradles for working beneath automobiles and like articles and has for its object to provide a full sized cradle which can be folded into a small compass when not in use so that it can be conveniently carried beneath the seat of the car or in the boot or rear deck thereof. y

Another object of the invention is to provide a brake mechanism or anchoring device to prevent the cradle from rolling when so desired, as when the operator is using,` a wrench with one or both hands. l

With these objects in view, and certain others which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists broadly in constructing the cradle of two hinged sections, which sectionscan be eX- tended or contracted as desired and which when contracted can be folded into compact form. The invention consists also in providing` a head rest for normally supportingthe head while the workman is resting upon the cradle and which can be utilized as a brake or anchoring` device to prevent the cradle from rolling'. The invention consists also in certa-in details of construction, all of which will be fully described. hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the cradle in. extended or workingy position, the head rest being omitted for clearness of illustration; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cradle in contracted position; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the cradle in contracted and folded position, the head rest being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the contracted and folded cradle taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, the headresty being shown in elevation; Fig. 6 is a lsection taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 7 is a detail perspective View of the head rest.

17, 1h22. Serial No. 537,181.

In constructing a cradle in accordance with my invention l employ two end sills 10 and 10a which are divided a-t`11 and 11a and united by hinges 12V and 12CL respectively placed upon the undersides thereof and these sills are curved slightly as shown so that the sides of the cradle would be somewhat higher than the central portion. Securely connected at their outer ends to the sills 10 and 10 are thelongitudinal strips 13 and 18a, the upper faces ofthe sills beingA preferably mortised to receive said strips which are arranged alternately as shown and have their inner ends secured between the dat metallic hars 1e and 14a respectively, and arranged in pairs, bolts 15 and 15a passing respectively through the strips 13 and 13a and the bolts y 15 and 15 and provided with nuts 16 and 16a upon their lower ends. If desired, rivets can be employed for securely connecting the parts together. ln this manner easy sliding or telescoping of the strips is provided.

By constructingthe cradle in this manner it will be possible to readilyezrtend the same to a full length cradle as shown in Fig.` 1 or it can be `contracted as shown in Fig. Qby pushin the sills towards each other and then if desired the contracted device can be folded centrally as shown in Figs. 3 and 4: and when thus contracted and folded will 0ccupy little space that it canbe conveniently carried beneath the seat of the car or in the boot or rear deck thereof and a hook 17 and eye 1S attached to the sill sections can be employed to secure the parts in their folded positions. The cradle is supported upon four casters 19 so that it can be freely rolled about while the personis resting thereon and in practice l prefer to place the casters on one side near the end of the sill` and on the other side set them back a short distance so that in folding, the casters will not contact with each other but will rest side by side, and l also prefer to cut away each sill upon the underface at each end so that space will be provided for the casters and the sections can be more closely folded as most clearly shown in Fig. 4. A head rest 20 is detachably mounted at one end of the cradle for supporting the head of the operator when resting upon the cradle and this head rest is slightly curved or bowed at the center. llt is connected to the sill by means of pins 21 rigidly attached to the Q` j meinte downwardlyupon the head rest, compress ing the springs 22 and forcing the pins downwardly so that their pointed endsconl tact with the floor or ground upon which the cradle rests and thuschecl the rolling movement oil the cradle. When pressure relieved the springs lift `the headrest to its normal position and withdraw the anchoring pins from engagement with the floor or ground. rIhe head rest is also provided with laterally projecting dowels 24 which tit into sockets 25 produced in the underside of one of the strips l and at the opposite side of the head restthere is provided a spacing pin 26 whichcontacts with one ot the spacing strips 13 of the other section and aids in holdingthe head rest in position between the folded sections as most clear-lj,v shownin Figs. 3 and 4. Stops 2l are placed upon the undersides of two or more of the strips 13 for contacting with the under metal bars 14- thereb'y limiting the extent to which the strips can be moved and maintaining `the metallic bars in parallel spaced rc-` lation adjacent the transverse center of the cradle and giving` the same the required strength at that point, the strips being supported not only at their extreme inner ends but also at points adjacent said inner ends. In use the sections are folded out flat and eX- tended and the head rest is then placed in position andthe device is ready tobe rolled beneath the car or other object with the operator thereon and so longA as freedoml ot movement is desired `the head of the` operator will rest in a natural manner upon the head rest butshould the operator wish at any time to lcheck the rolling movement of the cradle it is only necessary to exert downward pressure upon the head rest thereby projecting the anchoring pins into the floor or ground and braking or anchoring the cradle against rolling movement.

When not in use the cradlev is contracted etruction o'f cradle which can be folded when not in use and it will also he seen tha'` in connection with the cradle l prta'ide a spring supported head rest .'vhicli can also be utilized 'for braking or checking the rolling .i'iovement of the cradle.

leaving thus described my invention, what l claim is:

l. cradle having ahead rest supported at one end thereof and means connected with said head rest for preventing motion of the de., said means being brought into operation by downward pressure ot the head upon read rest.

en extensible cradle provided with 'sisters at the corners thereo't, and a spring -mudorted Vhead rest at one end, said head having anV anchoring pin projecting from, Vand adapted to be brought into ot the cradle. i 3. la cradle having a head rest at one end thereof, said head rest being vertically movable and provided with an anchoringpin adapted to engage a surface and ,arrest rolling movement or the cradle.

fr. i cradle having a detachable head rest at onev end, said head rest having one or more anchoring` pins projecting through the end or the cradle and adapted to engage the iioor or ground to arrest rolling motion, said rest being normally supported to hold said pin or pins out ot engagement with theiioor or around.

5. A cradle having a head rest connected thereto, said' head rest having a portion capable or being brought into. contact with the ground by downward pressure of the headupon the head rest.

'6. A cradle, a head rest detachablyl con nected to said cradle and spring supported, said head rest being downwardly movable by head pressure to bring a part thereof into Contact with the ground. i

ln testimony whereof, I hereunto. aliix my signature. Y

d, WALTER c. ZENGERLE,

-.l v cheap, simple and durable con' 

